U.S. Pat. No. 3,523,891 for "Electrolytic Sewage Treatment System and Process" discloses an apparatus in which a batch treatment process can be carried out in which a dissolvable iron electrode is employed to treat sewage waste. The system includes spaced metal electrode plates connected to a power supply for producing multivalent metallic ions and hydroxyl ions during treatment of waste waters. The metallic and hydroxyl ions form a flock which floats to the surface of the cell and entraps its suspended solids forming a supernatant, frothy sludge.
We have recently been working in the field of electrolytic treatment of waste water containing stabilized oil emulsion in an effort to decrease the cost and increase the production results of such a treatment system. We have, in particular, been working on a system which is operable on a continuous basis. We also have been investigating various operational facets of these systems in order to develop a process for treating such oily waste waters which is the most efficient from the standpoint of power consumption per rate of removal of oily materials from waste waters.
It is an object of our invention to provide a method of breaking an oil-in-water emulsion which is simple and efficient in operation, and economical to carry out.